Public Libraries and Government Transparency

UAlbany Center for Technology in Government Will Use Federal Laura Bush Grant to Explore
Public Libraries' Role in Open Government

ALBANY, NY (August 28, 2013) – The Center for Technology in Government (CTG) at the University at Albany will bring together thought leaders from academia, government, and private and non-profit organizations to explore the ways public libraries can help governments achieve their open government agendas.

More: http://www.albany.edu/news/42248.php?WT.eml=nc

Cartoon by Adam Zyglis of the Buffalo News: http://www.adamzyglis.com/cartoon271.html

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Technology in Fiction

"It isn’t hard to make a case against including technology in fiction. First, technology can be awkward to write about. Also, to read about. The jargon is clumsy: download, reboot, global positioning device. It’s embarrassing, really. So I understand an author’s impulse to avoid littering pages of otherwise lyrical prose with the bleep-boop-beep of tech speak. For this reason, authors often forgo current technologies when they want their characters to communicate with one another, or to reveal important, plot-forwarding information. I get it. What could be less romantic than a text message?"

More in The Millions.

Allison K. Gibson's article in The Millions on the problems of writing about technology in fiction mentions the work of two notable visitors to the Writers Institute:  Jonathan Lethem (until recently, an editor at Writers Institute partner Fence magazine) and Jennifer Egan.

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Science Writing Workshop Open to Applicants

Dear Readers, Writers, Teachers, Students and All Members of the General Public,

We encourage you to apply for the following FREE workshop. Writing samples need not be science writing (nonfiction in any category is acceptable).

Writing About Science and Technology

Nonfiction Workshop Offered by Writers Institute Fellow James Lasdun

New York State Writers Institute Fellow James Lasdun will conduct a nonfiction workshop during the spring 2012 semester that will focus on writing about science and technology. Advances in science and technology have enormous impacts on our lives. The need to understand them is more urgent than ever and yet how can these often highly esoteric matters be made comprehensible to the general public?

The workshop is scheduled for eight Monday nights (March 19, 26, April 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14) from 6 to 9 p.m. The class will take place on the University at Albany’s uptown campus. This workshop is offered for non-credit, free of charge for non-University students.

Manuscripts delivered in person will be accepted up until 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Mailed manuscripts must be postmarked no later than Friday, February 17, 2012. No faxes or e-mails.

For more information, click here.

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